The journey of our grains may surprise you

Concern over processed food is top of mind for many people today as they look to feed their families fresh and nutritious foods. Ready-to-eat cereals often get a bad rap, but their reputation as an overly processed product is really not true.

The method used to make breakfast cereals is simpler than you might think. Most of our cereals start with wholesome grains, like wheat berries, rice and corn, that are cooked with a handful of ingredients, plus some vitamins and minerals to help ensure a wholesome start to the day.

Frosted Mini-Wheats®

Whole-wheat berries are cooked, cooled and shredded into layers. They’re then cut into squares and toasted to be crispy before being frosted for a touch of sweetness.

Kellogg’s Raisin Bran®

Wheat berries are cracked and combined with a mixture of bran and malt flavoring before being cooked. Once the cooked wheat mixture is cooled and dried, it crumbles into tiny pieces that are rolled thin and toasted into crispy flakes.

Rice Krispies®

Rice is cooked with a lightly sweetened malt flavoring and partially dried. The warm rice is lightly rolled and allowed to rest so the flavor develops. Finally, it’s toasted, so each grain expands into a crispy puff.

Kellogg's Corn Flakes®

Cracked kernels of corn are cooked with a lightly sweetened malt flavoring and partially dried. They’re then rested and rolled thin, becoming a flake that’s ready for toasting.

While grains can take months to grow in nature, it only takes about two hours or less to cook most of our cereals. And, in the case of cereals like Corn Flakes, the simple steps of the cooking process haven’t really changed in the last 100 years.